She'll be missed

Mt Cook

Mueller Glacier

Hooker Glacier

Sunrise that first morning brought mixed emotions: sure we're glad to be away after 10 days of delays, but New Zealand will definitely be missed.

Sue & I have been visiting on holiday & work for over 18 years now, and still find new areas of outstanding natural beauty to visit. This time we bought a car in Nelson and drove around South Island again for a few weeks, visiting places we'd previously missed. Including the Mt Cook National Park, which was an absolute stunner.

We've always felt that we've been made so welcome in NZ. I can think of few other countries where the locals are so laid back, friendly and welcoming. [Maybe parts of the US, our other favourite hiking destination.] Get out of Auckland (a busy city like any other) and the Kiwis all seem to have the time to help. And chat.

Arriving by yacht is straightforward, with clearance for the yacht to remain tax-free for 12 months. We were actually allowed to extend by a further 3 months to have work carried out. With all the shipbuilding & engineering expertise, and the added bonus of being able to source gear GST-free, NZ is the perfect place to refit & repair.

I'm not sure we'd sail to South Island again though, if we return by yacht.

The Marlborough Sounds are pretty, but deep and famously gusty in almost every bay. The bullets get a bit wearing after a while and anchoring (without dragging) is not easy. The locals use moorings close in, but you have to join one of the 3 clubs to use them (Mana, Pelorus & Waikawa; associate/country membership $150-250). And many of the moorings are for smaller boats, which is not well advertised.

N Island cruise

Nelson marina was friendly, and offers a 50% discount if you leave your yacht to go off exploring South Island by car, which is useful, but the Able-Tasman National Park can be cruised in a few days: pretty, but not extensive.

I think, on balance, we'd recommend cruisers explore NZ by car instead (we used a Toyota Lucida with a bed in the back, staying at campsites) and save the cruising for the north east of North Island: the Hauraki Gulf & up. Plenty to keep you interested there, for a long, lazy summer.

All of which reminds me that we really only scraped the surface on our last visit. Hmmm...

Lake Wanaka